Dasuki loses one more bid to stop his trial

Adeniyi Ademola, a justice of the federal high court, Abuja, has ruled that the trial of Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA), must continue.

Ademola held that Dasuki had not followed the proper process of filing a contempt charge against the federal government.

He stated that it was out of place for a defendant in a suit to ask that charges against him be dropped for unweighty reasons.

He therefore dismissed the former NSA’s application to stop his trial.

Dasuki had filed the application to stop his trial on the grounds that the federal government had on several occasions flouted an order of the court granting him bail.

He had asked the court to compel the government to obey its order or quash the charges against him.

On April 4, the court adjourned ruling on the application of Dasuki to stop his trial.

At the hearing of the application on March 3, Dasuki had said investors were losing confidence in the country because of the federal government’s refusal to obey court orders.

The former NSA, who was speaking through his counsel, Joseph Daodu (SAN), had urged the court to halt his trial until the government complied with the order granting him bail.

“How will the government look like at the end of the day? Will investors be confident in this country when court make orders, but they are not obeyed?” he had asked.

In November, Ademola granted Dasuki bail, but operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) rearrested him after his release from Kuje prison.

On February 16, Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN), counsel to the DSS, had announced to the court that the prosecution was ready for trial to commence.

But Daodu said the defence counsel was not ready to proceed with the trial because the federal government was still keeping the accused person in detention despite an order of the court granting him bail.

“We cannot be ready for trial until the defendant enjoys his constitutional rights,” he had said.

“We apply that we should be given time to prepare the defence. The conduct of the prosecution has not enabled him to enjoy his constitutional rights.

“The worst is that for about seven weeks we do not know where he is. Any of us here who proceed to defend an accused person in this circumstance may lose his license of practice.”

However, Okpeseyi argued that the prosecution was not stopping Dasuki from enjoying his freedom.

He said the accused person was not being held for the charges before the court, but on separate charges.

He therefore asked the court to reject the request for adjournment and to commence trial.

Ademola was the one who first granted Dasuki bail, and permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Dasuki is facing a four-count charge of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms brought against him by the DSS.

He is also facing multiple counts of money laundering at the federal capital territory (FCT) high court, Abuja.

Two judges of the court had dismissed his application to stop his trial.